July 7th, 2013 | by Chris Kennedy

Review: TC-Helicon MP75 Mic with “Mic Control”

Looking for a microphone that can do more than simply sound great?

Item: TC-Helicon MP-75, Live Vocal Microphone

Price: $169 US, £129 UK

Mic Rating:

At A Glance: The MP-75 from TC-Helicon is a vocal microphone for live performance that features a button that can be used to control functions on their vocal effects units. It has a super-cardioid pickup pattern to minimise feedback on stage and a suspended shock-mount to minimise handling noise. Its frequency response has been tailored especially for vocals and it has excellent rejection to plosives. The microphone connects via a standard XLR cable and comes with a stand clip which is designed to fit on any standard mic stand and hold the MP-75 securely.

High Notes: The MP-75 control button works with all the current range of TC-Helicon pedals (see their website for full compatibility list). Depending on which pedal you use it with, it can be used to do different things such as turning on and off harmonies or reverb; or, moving up to the next preset on the device. The microphone is built to withstand years of use and comes with a padded gig bag to help keep it safe in transit. When compared to the sound of some other dynamic microphones, the MP-75 has an almost “condenser-like” bass pickup which goes particularly low yet remains well defined. It also has a well-controlled proximity effect, meaning you can get close to the microphone without adversely affecting your vocal tone.

Off Pitch: The MP-75 is not designed to be a particularly neutral sounding microphone and its scooped mid frequencies and hyped bass may sound great on some people but not necessarily on others.

Audio Demo – TC-Helicon MP75 vs Shure SM58:

A VoiceCouncil Reviewer Says: Sonically the TC-Helicon MP-75 microphone produces a particularly rich vocal sound with forward high frequencies that help with lyrical intelligibility. The build-quality and construction of the microphone is to a particularly high standard and it features a special heat-treated and hardened steel windscreen grill to provide up to 10 times the durability of non-hardened grills. If you do not require the ability to control your effects via your microphone, TC-Helicon also produces the MP-70 microphone, which is essentially the same as the MP-75 but without the “mic control” function. Overall, if you have a TC-Helicon vocal effects unit or are simply looking for a new microphone the MP-75 is definitely worth trying out.

I have the new Senheisser e835 FX for my VoiceLive Play. I am running into 3 “Downers” that may not necessarily be the mic.

1. No Mute Button or On/Off Switch. I love the mic, Love the pedal, LOVE how it “searches” for my voice, BUT… with no Mute on the pedal or On/Off switch in the mic it gets to be a pain to have to bend down, go into mix and turn the output all the way down during songs like instrumentals where I’m not using my mic. And if I leave it on… it finds the drummers cymbals and feeds back without fail.

2. Half the time I have no idea where the button is – I know I’ll get used to it, but even a textured strip along the length of the mic where the button is would help. I switch hands, and accidentally hit the button and “Hit” effects in the middle of the verse are not a happy thing – so maybe a raised lip around the button to prevent accidents. Then when I WANT to hit it… i gotta sneakily search along the mic, which means I have to prepare to find the button so I can prepare to hit it at the right time… and I have enough to think about.

3. Can we have a wireless mic with the effects button PLEASE! The ultimate mobility… it would be perfection. I’ve run into many situations in which I would have LOVED a wireless – one of which is when the effects I set in the practice hall sound terrible or cause feedback in the acoustics of different venues…. but there’s only so much cord and so far I can go while I try to fix it so I never know if I corrected the “bad” sound in the whole room, or just at certain sound points.

I know everything has a curve before it becomes comfortable… but… these three things are “downers”.

Oooh, that would be great, but then I would void the warranty on my Monster Cable :-(

Chris

Ok… Plan B. Get a TC-Helicon Switch-3 to use with your VoiceLive Play. (which will also give you more controls over your vocal effects and make looping much easier). Unfortunately TCH seem to have decided not to include a mute function on the unit, however if you use the transducer module radio effect and set the gain to -20 and the gate to 0dB this effectively mutes the mic. You can then assign this to one of the buttons on your Switch 3 and you will have a mute pedal. :)

Poppa Madison

Hi TC Helicon Guys!

And the competition to win one of these fabulous mics to go with my VoiceLive Play GTX is……..????

When, Guys……WHEN ?

IN my lifetime I have lusted after many things………..nothing so much as one of these as the possible reward for being not only one of your most avid posters and loyal members, but one that almost has his VLPlay GTX as a bedroom partner much to the chagrin of my long-suffering partner, who really just doesn’t understand what my Love Affair with it, is all about !

If you go to this link you will hear, what YOU LOT at TC Helicon made me do, that no-one else has ever been able to!
Now my partner doesn’t know who she is listening and talking to in the dark!

Now I reckon Diane has some very valid and useful points there!
I also and hinpartkulah agree with her statement about things having curves before they became comforts to humanity….WHICH IS ONLY RIGHT!
And to think, 50 years ago before gender equality set in, no-one would have even given her technical thoughts a moment’s attention!

So Guys, yah gotta listen up now, and listen up, Real Good !

Oh yes, and could I have an TCH external XLR adapter with on-off switch to use with my Mic connected to my Voicelive Play GTX?

You see Guys, Behringer, in their wisdom, forgot to put an On-Off switch on the damn thing!

Better still, let me make an entry in a competition to win an MP75 eh?

You know,…… the one with the raised LIP so I don’t press it by mistake when I really didn’t want to press it because pressing it would have had me sharing my most intimate secrets with the audience as well as with the Band!

And then, I wrote to Neutrik asking them to come up with yet another Newtrick and make a simple plug in adapter with a switch on it that can plug into one’s mic or into a unit’s XLR input, then the mic cable plugs into that!

Now how monstrous is that idea Diane?
I can tell you that is more monstrous than my Behringer Mic cable, that’s how much of a monstrosity my idea is.
But….prithee pray I asketh thee, “Will they taketh upeth and do iteth ?”
Or will they come back with some Technical jargon about how professional mic connects might be compromised by having an intervening betwixt mic and equipment mic interface, or some other such technical twaddle…… which really means……..”NO!” ????

We shall awaiteth with baited breatheth !

Poppa Madison

Gee Chris, you are gentleman and micrononophonical genius!

Good thinking man!

Mike

Just received an MP75 courtesy of the VoiceCouncil.com new subscriber competition. Gave it an airing at a gig on Saturday and it sounded great! I bought the Voicelive2 a couple of months ago so really excited about getting to grips with the MP75 coupled with the VL2…watch this space!!

Robert Lunte

Its a great mic, like all that TC-Helicon typically produces.. its good quality. There is another review of it at The Modern Vocalist World Reviews here: